Nail driver



Nov; 19, 1940. R. J. STEHLIK 2,222,125

NAIL DRIVER Filed March 19, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l l U I IN Patented Nov. 19, 1940 UNITED STATES PATENT FFlCE NAIL DRIVER Rudolph J. Stehlik, Butte, Mont.

Application March 19, 1940, Serial No. 324,846

4 Claims.

My invention relates to a nail driver.

An important object to the invention is toprovide a device of the above mentioned character which may be quickly and conveniently manipulated in. the driving of nails, dispensing with the necessity of holding the nail as in the use of the ordinary hammer.

A further object of the invention is to provide means for feeding the nails one at a time, to the position at which they are struck a hammering blow.

A further object of the invention is to provide nail feeding means which is automatically operated by the movement of the hammering element.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby a plurality of barrels are associated with the nail feeding means so that each barrel may be brought into the proper relation to the nail feeding means.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above mentioned character which is of simple construction and which is reliable in operation.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent during the course of the following description.

In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this application and in which like numerals are employed to designate like parts throughout the same,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a nail driver,

Figure 2 is a, similar View, taken at a right angle to Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a horizontal section taken on lin 33 of Figure 1,

Figure 4 is a similar view taken on line 4-4 of Figure 1,

Figure 5 is a similar view taken on line 5-5 of Figure 1,

Figure 6 is a central vertical longitudinal section through the device, the hammer being raised,

Figure 7 is a similar view, parts broken away, the hammer being lowered,

Figure 8 is a horizontal section taken on line 8-4! of Figure 1,

Figure 9 is a similar View taken on line 99 of Figure 1, and,

Figure 10 is a similar view taken on line Ill-l of Figure 1.

In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of my invention, the numeral l designates a preferably cylindrical tubular casing having a bore it which is cylindrical and leads at its lower end into a tapered or conical recess ll, decreasing in diameter downwardly and which leads into a reduced cylindrical nail receiving opening l8, passing through the lower end of the tubular casing I5, as shown. The numeral H3 designates a vertically inclined chute or trough leading into 5 the conical recess l1 and extending down to the opening iii. The chute or trough serves to guide nails from the nail feeding, means through the recess H to the opening I8. Preferably formed integral with the lower portion of the casing 15 is a housing l9, extending longitudinally of the casing l5 and projecting radially beyond the housing. This housing is preferably rectangular in horizontal cross-section, as shown. The housing it, see particularly Figures '7 and 8, has a horizontal recess Ell, forward shoulders 2| and a reduced opening 22, leading into the bore I6. Opposite the opening 22, the casing l5 has an opening covered by a removable plug 23. Mlounted within the horizontal recess is a reciprocatory nail feeding slide or gate 24, having a reduced extension or finger 25, projecting through the opening 22 into the bore Hi. The free end of the finger 25 is tapered or rounded, as shown. The slide or gate 2A; is provided with 25 a keyhole opening, including a round portion 26, suificiently large for the passage of the head of the nail and a reduced radial portion 21, to receive the body of the nail, but having a width narrower than the diameter of the head of the nail so that the head of the nail cannot drop through the radial extension 21. The slide or gate 24 cannot turn upon its longitudinal axis within the recess 20 as both are rectangular in vertical cross-section. The slide or gate 24 is urged forwardly by a compressible coil spring 28 receiving in one end a boss 29 formed upon the slide or gate 24 and in its opposite end a boss 30, formed upon a housing 3!. The housing 19 has a cylindrical passage or bore 32, extending throughout its entire length. When the slide or gate 24 is in the innermost position the circular opening 26 registers with the passage or bore 32 and when the slide or gate 24 is shifted to the outer position, the circular opening 26 is moved out of this registration and the reduced extension 21 leads into the bore 32. The housing I!) is also provided with a horizontal recess 33, rectangular in vertical cross-section, see Figures 7 and 9, and this recess leads into a reduced opening 34 leading into the bore N5 of the casing l5, The recess 33 has forward stop shoulders 35. The casing [5 has an opening opposite the opening 34 which is covered by a removable plug 36. Mounted to reciprocate within the recess 33 is a nail feeding slide or gate 31, rectangular in vertical cross-section, and having a cylindrical opening 38 of a suflicient size for the passage of the head of the nail. The slide or gate 31 has a finger 39 passing through the opening 34 and leading into the bore l6 and the free end of this finger is tapered or rounded, as shown. When the slide or gate 31 is in the innermost position its opening 38 is out of registration with the passage 32 and is moved into registration therewith when the slide or gate is shifted to the outer position. The slide or gate 3'! is moved inwardly by a compressible coil spring 40, receiving a boss 4| carried by the slide or gate 31 and receiving in its opposite end a boss 42 carried by the housing 3|. The housing 3| is mounted upon the opposite sides of the housing l9 and is secured thereto by screws 43 or the like.

Rotatably mounted upon the cylindrical casing I5 is a nail receiving magazine 44, including annular heads 45, rotatable upon the casing |5. These annular heads have annular sets of recesses receiving nail holding tubes 46, the ends of which are rigidly secured within these recesses. The upper head I5 has openings 41, in communication with the tubes 46, and the lower head 45 has openings 48, in communication with the bores of the tubes 46. Each opening 48 is covered by the upper horizontal portion 49 of the housing l9, until each opening 48 is brought into registration with the upper end of the passage 32. Each tube 46 is provided with a longitudinal slot 50 extending throughout a part of the length of the tube, so that the interior of the tube is rendered visible, and the slot of each tube when such tube is brought to the nail feeding position so that the bore of the tube registers with the bore 32, receives the end of a latch 5|, pivoted upon the housing 3|, at 52. By raising the latch 5| the magazine may be rotated until the selected tube 46 is brought to the nail feeding position, after which the latch 5| is moved to the lowered position so that its free end enters the slot 50 and locks the magazine in the adjusted position.

Mounted to reciprocate within the casing I5 is a hammer or plunger 53, having a rod 54 rigidly secured to its upper end and this rod carries a hand-grip 55 or the like. The hammer or plunger 53 has its lower end provided with a conical portion 56, decreasing in diameter downwardly to enter the conical recess H and the conical portion carries a reduced cylindrical portion 51, to enter the reduced opening H3. The elements 53, 56, and 57 are concentric.

The operation of the device is as follows:

With a nail within the nail receiving opening |8, the head of the nail may have sufficient frictional engagement with the bore of the opening |8 so that it will not drop through the opening I8 when the implement is being transported. With the hammer or plunger 53 raised, the implement is now brought to the position at which it is desired to drive the nail and the lower end of the casing I5 is placed at this position. The hammer or plunger 59 is now moved downwardly on the hammering stroke. When the hammer or plunger 53 is in the raised position, Figure 6, the round opening 26 is registering with the bore 32 and a nail has dropped into this bore and through and beyondthe opening 26. The lower end of this nail within the bore 32 is resting upon the upper surface of the slide or gate 31 since the opening 38 is now out of registration with the passage 32. The next upper nail has its lower end extending through the opening 21 and this lower end rests upon the head of the nail within the bore 32. As the hammer or plunger 53 moves downwardly, its conical or tapered portion 56 engages the finger 25 and moves the slide or gate 24 outwardly so that the opening 26 is moved out of registration of the bore 32 and the reduced portion 21 is placed in communication. with this bore. The next upper nail will have its head caught above the reduced portion 2'5, when the nail within the passage 32 drops therefrom. As the conical or tapered portion 56 descends it moves the slide or gate 31 outwardly while the slide or gate 24 is maintained in the outer position. When the slide or gate 31 moves outwardly its opening 38 registers with the passage 32 and the head of the nail within the passage 32 will drop through the opening 38, but before the opening 38 registers with the bore 32 sufliciently to permit of the head of the nail within the passage 32 dropping through the opening through the opening 38, the reduced portion 51 of the hammer or plunger has entered the opening |B. Thus when the nail within the passage 32 drops through the opening 38 it cannot drop into the opening l8 but its pointed end will engage the reduced portion 5'! or the conical portion 56. The further downward movement of the hammer or plunger 53 causes the reduced portion 57 to drive a nail through the opening l8 into the work. After the nail has been driven into the work, the hammer or plunger 53 is raised, and upon its upward movement, the slide or gate 31 first moves inwardly so that the opening 38 is out of registration with the passage 32, and subsequently to this the slide or gate 24 moves inwardly and the opening 26 is brought into registration with the passage 32. The leading or lowermost nail within the tube 46 now drops entirely through the opening 26 while the next upper nail has its pointed end resting upon the head of the nail within the passage 32. ously to this, the nail within the chute l8, and resting upon the reduced extension 5! or conical portion 56 drops into the opening |8, where its head frictionally engages with the wall of the opening |8. As each tube 46 is emptied of its nails, the magazine is turned to bring the next tube into the feeding position, as explained.

It is to be understood that the form of my invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same and that various changes in the shape, size and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of my invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. In a nail driver, a casing having a nail receiving opening, a reciprocatory hammer within the casing, a housing carried by the casing and having a passage in communication with the nail receiving opening, a reciprocatory gate carried by the housing and having an opening to permit of the passage of the head of the nail when the opening is in substantial registration with the passage, said opening having a reduced extension which will stop the passage of the head of the nail, said gate having a finger projecting into the casing and into the path of travel of a portion of the hammer, a spring to move the gate toward the hammer, a second reciprocatory gate arranged upon the leading side of the first named gate and having an opening for the passage of the head of the nail when such opening is substantially in registration with the passage of the housing, said second gate having a finger ex- Previtending into the casing and into the path of travel of a portion of the hammer, and a spring to move the second gate toward the hammer.

2. In a nail driver, a casing having a nail receiving opening, a reciprocatory hammer within the casing, a housing carried by the casing and having a passage in communication with the nail receiving opening, means to control the travel of nails through the passage, a magazine pivotally mounted upon the casing and having a plurality of nail holding tubes, each tube having a 1ongi- Ludinal slot which renders it possible to observe the nails within the tube, each tube being adapted for movement into proximity to the nail receiving opening, and a latch for engagement within the slot of the selected tube for holding the magazine against movement.

3. In a nail driver, a casing having a nail re ceiving opening, a reciprocatory hammer having an inclined part mounted within the casing, 21 housing carried by the casing and having a nail receiving passage in communication with the nail receiving opening, said housing having a recess extending transversely across the nail receiving passage, said recess being provided at its inner end with a reduced opening forming a shoulder, a gate mounted within the transverse recess to reciprocate in a straight line and having an opening to permit of the passage of the head of the nail, said opening having a reduced extension which will stop the passage of the head of the nail, a finger carried by the gate and operating within the reduced opening and projecting into the casing, said housing having a second transverse recess extending across the nail receiving passage, said second recess being provided at its inner end with a reduced opening forming a shoulder, a second reciprocatory gate mounted within the second recess and having an opening for the passage of the head of the nail, a second finger carried by the second gate and extending through the second reduced opening and projecting into the casing, the opening of the first gate losing so arranged that it is in substantial registration with the nail receiving passage when the first gate is in the inner position next to the casing and the opening in the second gate being so positioned that it is out of registration with the nail receiving passage when the second gate in the inner position r ext to the casing, the fin gers extending into the path of travel of the inclined part of the hammer, the gates being removable by an outward movement from the casing, and springs engaging the outer ends of the gates and moving them inwardly.

4. In a nail driver, a casing having a nail receiving opening, a'reciprocatory hammer having an inclined part mounted within the casing, a housing carried by the casing and having a nail receiving passage in communication with the nail receiving opening, said housing having a recess extending transversely across the nail receiving said recess being provided at its inner end with a reduced opening forming a shoulder, a gate mounted within the transverse recess to reciprocate in a straight line and having an open ing to permit of the passage of the head of the nail, said opening having a reduced extension which will stop the passage of the head of the nail, a finger carried by the gate and operating within the reduced opening and projecting into the casing, said housing having a second transverse recess extending across the nail receiving passage, said second recess being provided at its inner end with a reduced opening forming a shoulder, a second reciprocatory gate mounted within the second recess and having an opening for the passage of the head of the nail, a second finger carried by the second gate and extending through the second reduced opening and projecting into the casing, the opening of the first gate be so arranged that it is in substantial registra with the nail receiving passage when the gate is in the inner position next to the casand. the opening in the second gate being so positioned that it is out of registration with the nail receiving passage when the second gate is in the inner position next to the casing, the fingers extending into the path of travel of the inclined part of the hammer, the gates being removable by an outward movement from the casing, a housing removably mounted upon the first named housin. and extending about the outer ends of the gates, and compressible coil springs arranged within the housing and engaging therewith and with the inner ends of the gates.

RUDOLPH J. STEHLIK. 

